The Slayers (anime)
is a series of over 50 light novels written by Hajime Kanzaka and illustrated by Rui Araizumi. It was later developed into several manga titles, five televised anime series, two three-episode original video animations (OVAs), and five movies. It also spanned three console role-playing games for the Sony PlayStation, as well as one for the Nintendo Super Famicom (known internationally as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System). ''Slayers is a Dungeons & Dragons inspired narrative that follows the adventures of the young sorceress Lina Inverse and her companions as they journey through their world. Using powerful magic and swordsmanship they battle overreaching wizards, demons seeking to destroy the world, dark lords, and the occasional hapless gang of bandits. Characters Main article: List of Slayers characters Setting and magic In the Slayers universe the Lord of Nightmares is the ultimate being. The Claire Bible states that if the worlds are destroyed and returned to chaos, the Lord of Nightmares can return to its true form. On each of these worlds are gods (shinzoku, lit. "godly race") and demons (Mazoku, lit. "evil race"), fighting without end. Should the gods win the war in a world, that world will be at peace. Should the demons win, the world will be destroyed and returned to Chaos. In Lina's world, the supreme god is the Red Dragon God "Flare Dragon" Ceiphied, and the supreme demon is the Dark Lord "Ruby-Eye" Shabranigdo. Long ago, the war ended more or less in a stalemate, when Ceiphied was able to split Shabranigdo's existence into seven pieces in order to prevent him from coming back to life, then sealing them within human souls. As the souls are reincarnated, the individual fragments would therefore be worn down until Shabranigdo himself would be destroyed. However, Ceiphied was so exhausted by this that he himself sank into the Sea of Chaos, leaving four parts of himself and his soul in the world. A millennium before the events in Slayers, one of Ruby-Eye's fragments (which was sealed in the body of Lei Magnus, a very powerful sorcerer) revived and began the against one of the parts of Ceiphied, the Water Dragon King (Aqualord). Ultimately, the piece of Shabranigdo won, but Aqualord, using the last remnants of her power, froze and sealed him within the Kataart mountains. Nevertheless, Shabranigdo's lieutenants escaped and remained at liberty, sealing a part of the world within a magical barrier, through which only Mazoku could pass. There are three types of Magic within the Slayers universe. Black Magic spells call directly on the powers of the Mazoku, such as the Dragon Slave, and are capable of causing enormous damage. White Magic spells are drawn from the caster's own life force and used for healing or protection. Shamanistic Magic is focused on manipulation and alteration of the natural world such as Raywing and Fireball, as well as the Astral Plane including Elmekia Lance. The greatest Astral spell is the Ra-Tilt, a spell of devastating power when used against a spiritual being, such as a Mazoku, and equal in power to the Dragon Slave. Above all other magic, however, and of its nature used purely for destruction, are spells drawing power from the Lord of Nightmares. Two spells of this class are the Ragna Blade, capable of "cutting through anything", and the Giga Slave, capable of felling any opponent, but which could destroy the world if the spell is miscast. Media Light Novels Slayers was originally serialized in Dragon magazine in 1989 as a Light Novel series written by Hajime Kanzaka, and with artwork by Rui Araizumi. On September 7, 2004, Tokyopop began releasing the light novels in English. On January 2, 2008, they released Volume 8. * Slayers (15 Volumes, 1990-2000) * Slayers Special (30 Volumes, prequel to Slayers series, 1991-2008) * Slayers Smash (2 Volume, prequel to Slayers series, on going)http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/lnovel/bk_detail.php?pcd=200809000117 * Slayers Delicious (4 Volumes, prequel to Slayers series, 1997-1999) * Slayers VS Orphen (1 Volume, crossover between Slayers and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, 2005) Manga * Slayers (1 volume, illustrated by Rui Araizumi, original story, published in 1995, reedited in 2001, also known as Slayers Medieval Mayhem) * Chō-baku Madō-den Slayers (original name: 超爆魔道伝スレイヤーズ, 8 volumes, illustrated by Shoko Yoshinaka, adapted from Slayers main novels 1-8, 4th volume adapted from Slayers Return movie, 1995-2001, also known as Super-Explosive Demon Story) * Slayers Special (4 volumes, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka, adapted from Slayers Special novels, 2000-2001) *'Slayers Premium' (1 volume, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka, adapted from the movie of the same name) * Slayers Knight of the Aqualord (6 volumes, illustrated by Tomy Ohtsuka, original story, 2003-2005) * Slayers Revolution (1 volume, illustrated by Issei Hyouji, original story) * Slayers Evolution-R (still being published in Monthly Dragon Age, illustrated by Issei Hyouji, original story) * Slayers Light Magic (still being published in Kerokero Ace, illustrated by Shin Sasaki and script by Yoshijirou Muramatsu) * Slayers Legend (2 volume compilation from old Slayers manga, with chapters from Slayers and Chou-baku Madou-den Slayers, and a new manga called Slayers: Falshes no Sunadokei, "Slayers: the Hourglass of Falshes") In July 1998, Central Park Media announced they had licensed the manga for distribution in North America. On June 15, 1999, "Slayers: Medievil Mayhem" was released. The 4 volume series "Slayers Special" was published between October 12, 2002, and June 25, 2003 "Super-Explosive Demon Story", a 7 volume series, followed Between July 9, 2002 and December 1, 2004. Finally, On July 5, 2005, "Slayers Premium" was released. Anime Main article: List of Slayers episodes The first of the four seasons of the anime bore the franchise's title. The second season was titled Slayers NEXT, and the third season was titled Slayers TRY. A fourth season, Slayers AGAIN, was rumored following the success of TRY, but early scheduling conflicts caused interest in the project to dissipate. The first attempt to translate the series was undertaken by Live Entertainment, who broadcast it on PBS under the Family Home Entertainment brand (hence the still of the "Paintbrush" logo with the tail end of the logo's jingle playing). The series was distributed by KCET Los Angeles, and dubbing was funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers. B.J. Ward, who voiced Lina Inverse, narrated the funding credits. The series was also released in North America by Software Sculptors, who released the first series on VHS and Laserdisc in 1996, with a choice of dub or subtitles. Slayers Next was released on VHS from April 1999 in subtitled and english dubbed options. A boxset of the first four volumes was released in July 1999, and a boxset of the second four volumes was released in October of the same year. In 2009, MVM Films began releasing the series in the United Kingdom on a monthly basis. The first series was released on four dvds between January 05, and April 06, 2009. The first volume of Slayers Next was released on May 11, 2009. Episodes have been made available on the streaming video site Hulu and Funimation's website. In May 2005, at Anime Central in Chicago, FUNimation Entertainment announced they obtained the license for the TV series, since the previous owner's license expired in Fall 2005. It aired as part of the FUNimation programming block on CoLours TV. and the first bilingual DVD box set was released on August 27, 2007 containing the Central Park Media dub.Amazon.com release of FUNimation DVD box, retrieved 2007-08-01 A boxset of Slayers, Slayers Next and Slayers Try will be released by Funimation on August 04, 2009. A fourth anime series, Slayers Revolution, premiered in Japan on July 2, 2008. Megumi Hayashibara performed both the opening and ending theme songs. The new plot to be told across two 13-episode arcs and follows an original storyline, with series director Takashi Watanabe and production studio J.C. Staff reprising their duties from the three original TV series. A fifth Slayers series titled Slayers Evolution-R is the second 13-episode arc of Slayers Revolution and was aired on AT-X starting on January 12, 2009 in Japanhttp://www.starchild.co.jp/special/slayers_revolution/er/index.html. The new seasons are distributed in North America by Lionsgate and KCET Los Angeles, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers. As always, B.J. Ward narrated the funding credits. Meanwhile, FUNimation has licensed both Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R for American release; digital releases are currently scheduled for 2009, with the first of the DVDs set to be released in 2010. OVAs Two OVA series followed the anime series. consisted of 3 individual episodes directed by Hiroshi Watanabe and released in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten and J.C. Staff. The first episode was released in Japan on July 25th, 1996 on Laserdisc and VHS. In North America, Slayers Special was initially released on as two seperate titles, Slayers: Dragon Slave and Slayers:Explosion Array. On January 12, 1999, ADV Films released ''"Slayers: Explosion Array!" on VHS in a choice of subtitled and dubbed options. On November 21, 2000, ADV Films released "Slayers: Book of Spells", containing all 3 Slayers Special episodes. A A second three series OVA, followed in 1998. It was also directed by Watanabe and produced by J.C. Staff. Films # ''Slayers The Motion Picture (Movie, 1995) # Slayers Return (Movie, 1996) # Slayers Great (Movie, 1997) # Slayers Gorgeous (Movie, 1998) # Slayers Premium (Short movie, 2001) Anime Comics * SLAYERS Return (1 Volume, adapted from Slayers Return movie, 1996) * SLAYERS Great (1 Volume, adapted from Slayers Great movie, 1997) * SLAYERS Gorgeous (1 Volume, adapted from Slayers Gorgeous movie, 1998) Radio drama * Slayers Extra (4 episodes, adapted from Slayers Special novels, 1995-1996) * Slayers N'extra (4 episodes, adapted from Slayers Special novels, 1997) * Slayers Premium (1 episode, prologue and epilogue to Slayers Premium movie, 2002) * Slayers VS Orphen (1 episode, adapted from Slayers VS Orphen novel, 2005) * Kaette Kita Slayers Ex ("The Return of Slayers Ex", new Radio-Drama, 3 episodes for the time being, 2006) Games RPGs * Slayers Fight (Trading Card RPG) * Slayers Magius Books (Table-Talk RPG, 6 volumes) Video games Several Slayers role playing games have been released in Japan. "Slayers" was released by Banpresto on Super Famicom on June 24, 1994. Another game entitled "Slayers" was released for PC98. Slayers Royal was released by Kadokawa Shoten for Sega Saturn]] on July 25, 1997. and by ESP Software for Sony Playstation on June 25, 1998. A sequal, Slayers Royal 2 was released on Sega Saturn by ESP Software on September 03, 1998 and on Sony Playstation on July 11, 1999. Slayers Wonderful was published by Banpresto for Sony Playstation on October 22, 1998. Music Main article: List of Slayers songs Live-action series Main article: The Slayers In 2004, a live-action telenovela adaptation of the anime was announced to premiere on Telemundo and NBC in early January 2005. NBC broadcasts would be English-subtitled. Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Unax Ugalde, and Chisaki Hama were the leads for the entire series, with Rodrigo Murray joining in season 2 and Géraldine Bazán joining in season 3. The English dubs of all three currently released seasons have been released directly to DVD and later BluRay, with Hama being the only member of the group to dub her own voice despite most of the rest being fluent in English. The rest were dubbed by Trish Ledoux, Steven Jay Blum, Heath Ledger, W. Axl Rose, and Wendee Lee. After Ledger's death in January 2008, Emma announced that the death wouldn't affect the dubbing, which had already been completed, and that she was already looking for possible successors as the English voice of Zelgadis. Meanwhile, Rose used a combination of his normal voice and the CPM English dub's voice from the anime to perfect his Xellos voice. According to Emma herself, episode 17 of season 2 is her favorite episode of the series, as her character (Lina Inverse) is the only member of the disguised party who was wearing pants (though this was not, contrary to popular belief, a change added by Emma, but in fact originated from the anime; however, Emma has stated that it wasn't a coincidence). All episodes were videotaped using a special stereoscopic camera and broadcast in red/cyan anaglyphic 3-D. References External links *[http://funimation.com/slayers/ FUNimation's Official Slayers Website] *[http://www.enokifilmsusa.com/library/slayers.htm Enoki Films' Slayers website] * *Slayers Universe Resource website *[http://www.funimation.com/slayersrevolution/ FUNImation's Teaser Site for Slayers: Revolution] Category:Action anime and manga Category:ADV Films Category:Adventure anime and manga Category:Anime of 1995 Category:Anime of 1996 Category:Anime of 1997 Category:Anime of 2008 Category:CPM Press Category:Comedy anime and manga Category:Fantasy novels Category:Fantasy anime and manga Category:Fujimi Fantasia Bunko Category:Funimation Entertainment Category:Anime distributed by Madman Entertainment Category:Manga distributed by Madman Entertainment Category:Manga of 1995 Category:Shōnen Category:Slayers Category:Tokyopop titles